12 Dec 2010, Third Sunday of Advent

Reading 1
Is 35:1-6a, 10

The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.

Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.

Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. Is 35:4)

Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD God keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 3
Jas 5:7-10


Be patient, brothers and sisters,
until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Gospel
Mt 11:2-11

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,
he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,
“Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

As they were going off,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John,
“What did you go out to the desert to see?
A reed swayed by the wind?
Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in fine clothing?
Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.
Then why did you go out? To see a prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom it is written:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.
Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Meditation: Matthew 11:2-11

“Go and tell John what you hear and see.” (Matthew 11:4)

John the Baptist stood at the threshold between the Old and New Testaments. In him we see the culmination of centuries of prophecy and waiting. The last of the prophets to announce Jesus from afar, John was also the first witness to him, leaping for joy in his mother’s womb at the Visitation (Luke 1:41). The church honors John with many titles that reflect how faithfully he carried out his role as a bridge: Witness of the Lord, Crown of the Prophets, Forerunner of the Redeemer, Herald of the Messiah, and Servant of the Word.

Yes, John was a great man of God. But he was also an ordinary human being. Today’s Gospel shows us how John, near the end of his life, questioned whether Jesus really was the promised Messiah. After all, if Jesus was the chosen one, why was John, his kinsman and herald, in prison awaiting a near-certain execution?

Jesus responded to John’s doubts by recounting the solid facts about his ministry: “The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised”—all in fulfillment of what had been foretold about him (Matthew 11:5; Isaiah 35:5-6). He urged John to hold fast to these truths and not give up hope.

Each of us has had times when we doubt God’s love and care for us, times when we feel uncertain about following the Lord. And Jesus gives us the exact same answer he gave John: Look back over your life. Recall the wonderful things you have seen the Lord do. Hold fast to your faith, even when it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Eventually, you too will be vindicated.

Remember: Despite John’s doubts, Jesus still had very kind words for him: “Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). And he will be just as pleased with us as we hold firm in faith!

“Thank you, Jesus, for revealing yourself to me. Lord, I believe in you. Help me to hold fast to you.”

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